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Rae Bourbon - 78s Collection

by: Rae Bourbon aka Ray Bourbon

Usage: Public Domain

Topics: gay, lesbian, transgender, nightclubs, LGBT, drag, female impersonator, gay history

Item Size: 489.0M

Rae Bourbon (aka "Ray Bourbon") started in show business in silent movies and English music hall and, in the 1930s and 40s, was known for his gay themed nightclub review and performances in San Francisco, Los Angeles and many other cities.

In this collection are most all of Ray Bourbon's known 78 rpm recordings, dating from about 1930 to the late 1940s. In some cases, we hear early versions of routines and songs he would recreate on lps. Other tracks aren't heard in any other form in Ray's discography.

Ray recorded and released these records himself, selling them at nightclub appearances, via mail order, and through selected record shops. The sound quality varies since these rare recordings are taken from a variety of sources from collectors.

For more information about Ray Bourbon's life and work see https://raebourbon.com.

These recordings were digitized by Randy A. Riddle in 1998 from cassette dubs; provided by Charles C. Cage, Sara Hassan, and Don Romesburg; and direct to digital dubs, provided by Dr. Demento, of the original 78 rpm recordings. Click removal, re-equalization, and noise suppression were applied to the recordings after the digital transfer. Some recordings were speed corrected due to variations in cassette recorder mechanisms.

Following is a list of the recordings with matrix information.

Western Record Co. Bourbana (circa 1930s)

01 - Sisters of Charity - WR-711-A
02 - Three Shop Girls - WR-711-B
03 - Her First Piece - WR-713-A
04 - Low Brow Bourbon - WR-713-B
05 - Gigolo - WR-714-A
06 - Chiropractor's Wife - WR-714-B
07 - Spanish Passion - WR-715-B
08 - Cocktail Time - WR-716-A
09 - Forbidden Broadcast - WR-716-B
10 - Love Child - WR-717-B
11 - First Swimming Lesson - WR-717-A
12 - Strip Tease Queen

Liberty Music Shop (circa mid-1930s)
Listed on label as by BoURBANAS (Ray Bourbon with Forrest and Wright). Recorded at the Decca Studios, New York City, 1936.

13 - Chiropractor's Wife - L-208 (75222A)
14 - Gigolo - L-208(75223A)
15 - Trombone Trixie - L-209(7522)
16 - Her First Lesson - L-209(75221A)

Liberty Music Shop (1940)
Featuring Jack Burke on piano; recorded at Reeves Sound Studios, New York City, 1940.

17 - Bedtime Story, Part 1 and 2 - L-319(3442) and L-319(3443)
18 - Spanish Opera - L-320(3444)
19 - Oriental Opera - L-320(3445-1)

Imperial Records (circa 1941)
Some include piano by Joey Melborn. Recorded in Hollywood circa 1941.

20 - Susie - 100A (X3)
21 - Family Tree - 100B (X2)
22 - Sarah From Sahara - 101A (X3)
23 - Man's Man - 101B (X4)
24 - Fountain of Youth - 104A
25 - Take a Lei - 105A
26 - Chief Peanut Stand - 105B
27 - Sunday Ride, Part 1 and 2 - 106A and 106B
28 - Gland Opera - 107A
29 - To Hell With the Range - 107B
30 - Hollywood Appendicitis - 108A
31 - Hollywood Drive-In Storehouse - 108B
32 - Mrs. Willouby Objects - 109A
33 - Since Ivan Started Divin' - 109B
34 - My First Piece - 110A
35 - My Last Piece - 110B
36 - The New Neighbor, Part 1 - 117A
37 - Nero - 118A
38 - Constance - 118B

New Bourbon (1940s)
Recorded in Hollywood; piano by Jack Burke.

39 - Bourbon to the Cleaners - 101-A
40 - The Bourbon Motif - 101-A (alternate copies)
41 - Strong, Solid, Sensational - 101-B
42 - Vacation in Nevada - 102-A
43 - The Model - 107
44 - Sahara - 108
45 - Professor Yussell - 110
46 - Family Tree - 113
47 - I Had a Piece - 201A
48 - We've Got to Have a Union - 201B

Party Record (early 1940s)

49 - Air Raid Warden - 515
50 - When Knighthood Was in Flower - 515

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Reviewer: Lunacia_Monk - - April 9, 2019
Subject: A fantastic collection.

An excellent, comprehensive introduction to the works of Rae/Ray Bourbon. In fact, this is where I learned about the existence of Rae Bourbon. After I got over the feeling of being cheated out of their work for thirty-nine years, I digested absolutely everything there was to hear! Rae Bourbon's work is saturated with wit, vaudeville, wordplay and innuendo. I peach the gospel of Bourbon every day

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